Tue Jul 07 15:56:09 EAT 2015

Kenyatta meets women entrepreneurs

President Uhuru Kenyatta (centre) greetS young women entrepreneurs at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on July 7, 2015. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE

In Summary

The President said the government is working to have LPOs acceptable as full security by commercial banks when borrowing loans.

Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise Development Adan Mohammed urged the women to take up opportunities presented by the recent reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

The President said that even now, it is far easier for men to get loans than women.

“It is still more difficult for women to find the business networks they need to succeed as entrepreneurs. And our policies must be updated to help the women of Kenya better able to combine the life of the family with the entrepreneurial energy that they have shown throughout our history,” President Kenyatta said.

According to the head of State, the entrepreneurs are also facing a myriad of challenges that need to be sorted out to ensure their businesses thrive.

“I do not need to emphasize that corruption remains a serious problem. This is especially serious when it affects the delivery of public services, on which so many Kenyans -and especially women – rely,” he said.

The President said the government is working to have LPOs acceptable as full security by commercial banks when borrowing loans.

He also added that the State is looking into way of giving tax breaks to firms that give internships to young people.

Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization and Enterprise Development Adan Mohammed urged the women to take up opportunities presented by the recent reauthorization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

“We must be competitive, we are competing with similar products from other products, therefore we must ensure we maintain international standards in our products,” Mr Mohamed said.